University of Bolton professor raises £24,000 after valiant attempt to complete 185-mile walk

University of Bolton Professor of Psychology raised £24,000 for a children’s mental health support project – despite a health issue thwarting his ambitious attempt to walk 185 miles in a week.

Professor Jerome Carson, aged 67, planned to walk from Manchester to Walsingham in Norfolk to raise money for the Hummingbird Project.

Jerome managed to complete 21, 23 and 21 miles in the first three days in aid of Hummingbird, a project led by the charity Medequip4Kids which aims to boost the mental wellbeing of primary and secondary schoolchildren in the North West.

However, the attempt was thwarted when he developed heavy blisters at the end of the third day, which led to him attending Newark Hospital Urgent Care Centre on the fourth day.

After an examination, doctors diagnosed vasculitis and advised him to stop the walk on medical grounds.

Jerome said: “ After that, I went back to Norfolk on the Friday and finished the walk on the Saturday in Walsingham. Unfortunately it meant that I failed to walk the whole distance, but I gave it my best shot.

“I had tremendous support from a wide range of people, including Ghazala Baig, CEO of MedEquip and Catherine North who leads the Hummingbird Project. Lots of people helped out, who I will be thanking personally in the next few weeks.

“I was inspired to do this by my friend, Ken Heathcote, who swam the length of Windermere at the age of 82.

“His famous saying is 'If you think you can, you can.' I said that to myself hundreds of times on the walk, but sadly, my legs gave in.”

The Hummingbird Project has delivered a six-week positive psychology-based intervention to over 6,000 children in the region and is supported entirely by donations.

Jerome said: “Better to have tried and failed than never to have tried. I am determined to do something again next year, but it will be a bit less ambitious than trying to walk 185 miles in seven and a half days!”

The 'Professor Jerome Carson Just Giving' page is still open for donations.